MI 720 Session #11

Ethical Issues and IT Use/IFA ShopSense Case

Session #11: Ethical Issues and IT Use• Agenda

– Due date reminders– Final exam info– Team Presentations– IFA/ShopSense Case – Ethics & Customer Analytics

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Upcoming Due Dates• Monday Dec 5th by midnight:

– 3rd blog post (note, you’re welcome to keep blogging if you want…)

• Wed Dec 7th by midnight:– Have at least 6 comments (again, you can keep making

comments after Wednesday)

• Friday Dec 9th by midnight:– Complete peer reviews of students’ blogs– Nominate issues to discuss in the course wrap/exam

review (optional)

• Monday Dec 12th by midnight:– Nominate candidate exam questions (optional)

• Wed Dec 14th by midnight:– Complete wiki project peer reviews

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Final Exam • Will be held Friday Dec 16th 11am-1:00 pm

– Section 1: Fulton 130, Section 2: Fulton 150

• Main Focus: Managerial, not technical– Except, you have to understand key features of technologies to

really understand managerial implications…

• Exam will be open book & open note, closed computer

– Emphasis: Analysis and applications– Format: Essay

• Will have some choice on which questions to answer• Will curve if necessary. Rarely necessary.

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What are you responsible for? • Responsible

– All required readings & cases, all class discussions• Readings: Should master key concepts and frameworks

– Especially important: Lecture notes (Sessions 2, 4, 10, 11, 12), Gallaugher chapters on Strategy and Social Media, “Options Thinking” Article

• Cases: Should be familiar with the high points of each case, and know where to look for reminders on key details. But don’t need to memorize details

– See study guide to be posted on the wiki for details

• Not responsible– Tech basics web site, optional readings, team wiki projects, blog postings,

individual wiki pages

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Example question• Suppose that Dean Boynton has observed the ways

that the IT faculty have been using Wiki technology to support teaching and would like to see this be adopted as a standard by the CSOM faculty, both to host course materials and to introduce the benefits of social media to the education process. The faculty, as you know, currently use a variety of alternatives to Wiki technology: WebCT Vista, regular Web pages, or nothing. Which deployment barriers do think would present the greatest difficulties for this proposed initiative? Why? How, specifically, should these barriers be over come?

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Essay Questions – Likes & Dislikes• Likes

– Answers that are clear, and concise

– Answers that show good insights and a depth of understanding

– Answers that cover the most important issues pertaining to the topic of a question

– Answers that are in your own words

• Dislikes– Answers that do not stay focused on

the specific question (or questions) asked.

– Answers that are “generic” rather than tailored to the specifics of the example.

– Answers that include “filler”, such as repeating the question, or unnecessary introductory phrases

– Answers repeat verbatim material from an article or slides without indicating you understand those passages

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IFA/ShopSense – Proposed collaboration

Ethical Principles• Utilitarianism

• Rawls' "Veil of Ignorance" Principle

• Universal Application Principle

• Golden Rule

• Shining Light Principle

• Human Rights

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Is it the proposed collaboration good business?

Alternative ways to proceed?

5 Barriers to an Ethical Organization [Brazerman & Tenbrunsel 2011]

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Wrap up on IT Ethics• Why does IT lead to new ethical quandaries?

– Complexity, intangibility, pervasiveness• The ethical reasoning process

1. Choose (in advance) the ethical principle to be used to guide you

2. Identify the key facts that pertain to a particular decision situation.

3. Apply your ethical principle. – Draw the correct logical conclusion about the suggested

ethical course of action based on the facts of the situation, and then choose that course of action.

• Avoiding barriers to ethical behavior– Ill-conceived goals, motivated and indirect blindness,

slippery slope, overvaluing outcomes

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